Increase power supply, not tariff, textile workers tell Nigerian government
Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:44:pm Business
2.4K By sosa hills
The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria on Sunday said the Federal Government must ensure steady power supply before increasing electricity tariff.
This was in a statement issued in Kaduna by the Secretary General of the Union, Issa Aremu, said the group support the planned picketing of electricity distribution companies by the organised labour.
"We hereby declare our total support for the planned picketing by labour and civil society allies of all offices of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) nationwide, including Abuja, on Monday Feb. 8, to protest the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariffs. "We commend Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership for this mass action for improved power supply instead of incessant non-service charges."
He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently revisit the report of the 2014 National Conference and implement the holistic recommendations for the power sector. He said that the Federal Government should not allow the increase in tariff "by the underperforming generating and distribution companies."
"The point cannot be overstated; Power/Energy is so strategic to the industrialisation and the wellbeing of the people,'' the former Vice President of the NLC said.
He also appealed to the federal government to urgently review the privatisation contracts with the electricity generation and distribution companies.
Mr. Aremu said the firms should be given a two- year time-frame "to allow them stabilise and provide efficient power supply to Nigerians before they can contemplate any tariff increase."
The General Secretary further said that there should be more transparency in all future sale of the nation's assets.
"We reject the hike in electricity tariff and hereby call on our members across the country and all well meaning Nigerians to come out and join NLC protest to drive home the fact that the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariff is unacceptable."
Mr. Aremu said the textile union instead calls for improvement in power supply.
"The point cannot be overstated. Between 30 per cent and 35 per cent of textile and garment manufacturing costs are energy related expenses.
"Without electrification there can be no industrialisation.
"The promise and expectation that President Buhari will revive textile industry generally is not possible without electricity," the labour leader said.
According to Mr. Aremu, it is time for the Buhari administration to critically review the power sector reform with a view to increasing public sector investment.
(NAN)
This was in a statement issued in Kaduna by the Secretary General of the Union, Issa Aremu, said the group support the planned picketing of electricity distribution companies by the organised labour.
"We hereby declare our total support for the planned picketing by labour and civil society allies of all offices of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) nationwide, including Abuja, on Monday Feb. 8, to protest the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariffs. "We commend Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership for this mass action for improved power supply instead of incessant non-service charges."
He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently revisit the report of the 2014 National Conference and implement the holistic recommendations for the power sector. He said that the Federal Government should not allow the increase in tariff "by the underperforming generating and distribution companies."
"The point cannot be overstated; Power/Energy is so strategic to the industrialisation and the wellbeing of the people,'' the former Vice President of the NLC said.
He also appealed to the federal government to urgently review the privatisation contracts with the electricity generation and distribution companies.
Mr. Aremu said the firms should be given a two- year time-frame "to allow them stabilise and provide efficient power supply to Nigerians before they can contemplate any tariff increase."
The General Secretary further said that there should be more transparency in all future sale of the nation's assets.
"We reject the hike in electricity tariff and hereby call on our members across the country and all well meaning Nigerians to come out and join NLC protest to drive home the fact that the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariff is unacceptable."
Mr. Aremu said the textile union instead calls for improvement in power supply.
"The point cannot be overstated. Between 30 per cent and 35 per cent of textile and garment manufacturing costs are energy related expenses.
"Without electrification there can be no industrialisation.
"The promise and expectation that President Buhari will revive textile industry generally is not possible without electricity," the labour leader said.
According to Mr. Aremu, it is time for the Buhari administration to critically review the power sector reform with a view to increasing public sector investment.
(NAN)
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